To Heal
by Ithilien Archer
Summary: The law of the universe states that only one healer can be alive at a time. When twins Edward and Alice are born, balance begins to fade as disasters occur. Both of them are healers. Only one of them can be alive if the world were to go back to normal
1. Prologue

**A/N: AU, OOC, AH**

**Disclaimers: I don't own Twilight**

Prologue

_June 16, 1994_

_Forks, Washington_

"Mommy!" a little voice resonated through the house followed by the sound of tiny feet running across the carpeted floor. Sitting on one of the black leathered couches in the living room, Esme Cullen looked from the book and let a smile spread across her face. Her light green eyes graced the doorway just as her little son skidded to a halt in front of her.

Cheeks flushed, blue eyes shining, and black hair inherited from his grandfather tousled in a curly mess, three year old Emmett stood grinning with a ball clasped in his tiny hands. "Mommy, can you come play?" he asked. Esme was once again filled with wonder and unspeakable joy at being blessed with a little angel like her son. Glancing down at her swollen belly, her broad smile only grew brighter. Soon, her perfect little family of three would welcome two more little angels.

"Please, Mommy?" Emmett wheedled, and padded over to stand next to her.

"Of course, baby boy," Esme grinned and tousled her son's already messy hair.

"I not baby!" Emmett protested and Esme fought hard to not laugh at her son's diminutive size and childish words. Ever since he had been told that he was going to have younger siblings to play with, he had declared himself grown up. "I a big brother, Mommy! I not baby!"

Unable to restrain herself, Esme let out a small chuckle that turned to loud guffaws when Emmett almost appeared to be offended by it. "Ok, you're not a baby. Shall we go play?" The whole situation forgotten, Emmett let out a jubilant whoop and dashed off towards the back yard. Esme got up from the couch and groaned a little at the ache in her back. So far in the pregnancy, she hadn't had troubles with back pain, but they had been quite frequent on this day. Thinking little of it, Esme rubbed her back for a bit before following Emmett at a slower pace than he had left. When she got outside under the setting sun, she immediately felt better. Thoughts of her discomfort faded and were pushed to the back of her mind as she breathed the fresh air and set about lobbing the small ball back to Emmett when he tossed it to her. High, childish laughter permeated the air, joined by the tinkling of a woman's laugh every once a while as the ball flew back and forth. It often flew astray, but the little boy always ran after it, unknowingly making his mother chuckle to herself in amusement. Just as Esme was thinking how wonderful her life was, a sudden cramp in her stomach made her hands fly to her swollen belly.

Her heart immediately raced, her mind jumping without thought to bad scenarios. She bit her lip as she waited for the cramp to subside. A few moments later, it had faded away and Esme was about to let a breath of relief through her lips when another one seized her stomach, causing her to gasp softly. Only then was she aware of the throbbing in her lower back and Emmett's little voice calling her. Glancing down, she saw that the ball had landed by her feet. She knew better than to stoop down and pick it up though. "Emmett!"

"Yes, Mommy?" her son called back, full of innocence.

"Em, I need to sit down for a bit. Ok?" Esme told him. Without waiting for her small boy to reply, Esme walked to the porch and eased herself down on the first step just as another painful cramp tightened her stomach and made her heart race. Taking a deep breath and telling herself not to panic, she tried to think coherently against the onslaught of dark thoughts in her mind. She tried to recall the time she had briefly looked up a guide about twins. Hadn't it said something about being at a greater risk of premature birth because she was carrying twins? Esme then tried to recall what the guide had said about symptoms of premature birth, and to her dismay, she couldn't remember.

_At least the cramps have subsided,_ she thought to herself as she realized a few minutes had passed when the last cramp had made her heart race and polluted her mind with foreboding thoughts. _Maybe I'm just overreacting. _Wiping the few beads of sweat from her forehead, Esme blinked to clear her eyes and settled to watch Emmett as he chased the ball around the yard. She thought she would give him maybe fifteen more minutes before calling him in. The world was darkening around her, literally. Places once lighted were quickly being stolen by the looming shadow and lights were coming on in people's homes. However, since it was summer, the sky wouldn't become completely dark for a few hours yet.

Esme adjusted her weight on the porch step and let her mind drift a little, glad that she wasn't experiencing any more cramps at the moment. It must be close to seven or so, her husband should be home soon. As always, thought of her husband brought a smile to Esme's pretty face. Carlisle had made himself a part of her life during their sophomore year. Both had known that they were destined to be together and were each other's firsts for everything. They got married at twenty one and had their first son at twenty seven. Through their fourteen years together, they had had several arguments, but none powerful enough to break them apart. For that, Esme felt eternally blessed. Carlisle was everything that she had ever wanted and her trust in him had never been betrayed.

Wrenched violently back from her day dream, Esme was once again barraged with pain as her abdomen clenched again. This cramp was the most painful so far, and she felt the breath leave her lungs as she nearly doubled over from the pain. Her hands unconsciously drifted to her stomach, as if trying to protect her unborn babies. When the pain had ceased somewhat, she made to get up so she could go call her husband, but another jolt coursed through her and she had to clench her eyes shut against the tears that were building. She had to be strong.

Small, cool hands were suddenly on her cheeks and Esme opened her eyes a little to see her little boy's bright blue orbs peering at her with unmasked concern. Ever since he was a very small, Emmett had been a very caring baby. He often strove to protect others and was very attuned to people when they needed help. There was no doubt in his parents' minds that he would be an exceptional big brother for the twins.

"Mommy?" Emmett's soothing little voice asked as Esme bit her lip against the another flare of pain. Something bad was happening, something very bad. She knew this wasn't normal at all, as she had gone through a very healthy pregnancy when she was bearing Emmett. Although Emmett had been quite the large baby, she had never experienced anything like this during that pregnancy. "Mommy, you okay?" Emmett asked, bringing Esme's wavering attention back to him.

"I'll be fine, Em. Can you go get the phone for me?" she gritted out, trying to sound assuring and not doing a very good job of it. Emmett nodded solemnly and left to do as she had asked. Esme concentrated on the sound of his footsteps to keep herself focused through the pain that was quickly becoming more intense. She barely registered the sudden wetness at her crotch, but she comprehended it enough to send waves of fear crashing down on her. The phone was suddenly in her hand, the cool plastic against her warm palm somehow letting her focus a bit and dial her husband's number. She found herself with and armful of Emmett when he wrapped his arm gently around her neck and rested a hand against her swollen belly. Esme thought she saw his lips move, but couldn't make out what he was saying so she focused her attention on the phone. Feeling like being on the edge of a precipice, she waited for her husband to pick up with a throat tightened with tears.

"Hello?" Carlisle's voice came through the phone, and Esme nearly lost it.

"Carlisle?" she choked out unnecessarily. Tears slipped unbidden from her eyes and still, she fought against them. For Emmett's sake, for her sanity's sake. A little hand wiped some of it away, but she didn't turn to acknowledge her son.

"Esme? What's wrong?" Carlisle asked, sensing the fear in his wife's voice. Esme closed her eyes and more tears cascaded down her face. What should she say? She still didn't know what was wrong with her. She had a good idea, but she didn't want to believe that.

"Where are you? Can you please come home? Come home, please. I need you," she finally answered, barely keeping herself from sobbing. Her breath hitched as another wave of pain blasted through her abdomen and the wetness between her legs grew. She turned her head and pressed her face against the top of Emmett's head for comfort and strength. Afraid to look down, she sounded her plea into the phone again.

Without asking for an explanation, Carlisle quickly replied, "I'll be there in a few minutes. I promise."

"Please hurry," Esme cried softly. The phone beeped when she pressed the off button, causing her despair to multiply.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Emmett asked in a quiet voice. Esme tried to put on a brave face for her young son when she turned to him, but she knew Emmett wouldn't fall for it.

"I'm not sure, Em, but we have to get inside," Esme said. Emmett quickly scrambled off her lap and allowed Esme room to hull herself to her feet. The corner of her lip tipped up slightly when Emmett held out his small hand for her to take. Her twins were so lucky to have Emmett as big brother. Unless...

Before she could be led on that train of thought, Esme quickly shook her head and concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other. When they entered the house, she debated going to the bathroom to investigate the wetness that had spread to her inner thighs, but when another cramp ravaged her, she lost the nerve to. Instead, she made her way slowly to the closest chair, and groaned in pain when she sat down. Her back was still bothering her, but the pain there wasn't nearly as bad as the ones that were ravaging her abdomen. She was aware of Emmett squeezing her hand with his small one and turned to look at him. He still had that look of concern in his eyes and was watching her carefully. "It'll be okay soon. Daddy's coming," Esme told him, comforting both of them. At least, attempting to. Absently, she rubbed a hand over her stomach and sent a silent plea to whoever was listening to let her babies be okay.

The sound of the garage door opening renewed her hope just a bit more. She watched Emmett dash off to greet his dad and tried to compose herself a little. With tears in her eyes and throat tight with fear in the form of liquid, she listened as Carlisle greeted Emmett with concern clearly in his voice and Emmett's high pitched voice telling him to go to Esme.

Hope blossomed in Esme's chest for the briefest of moments when Carlisle burst through the doorway that led to the kitchen with Emmett trailing behind. The doctor in him quickly scanned over his wife, looking for physical trauma of some sort to explain her distressed state while the husband and father rushed over and held Esme's face between his hands. "What's wrong, love?" he asked, blue eyes looking deep into her green ones for an answer.

"I don't know. I've been having horrible cramps and some back pain. Something's wrong, I know it. Something's wrong. Our babies, Carlisle! I don't... I don't... You have to help them!" Esme rambled, her voice coming out in a harsh whisper. She still refused to break down, but the tears refused to stay put.

"Shh..., love. It's okay. It'll be alright. When did they start?" Carlisle asked, keeping his voice low and soothing. Beneath the surface, his heart raced and he had a sick feeling in his stomach. His wife was only 27 weeks along in her pregnancy and she was describing some of the symptoms of premature labor. Though his specialties didn't lie in obstetrics and gynecology, he knew enough to guess what the symptoms meant.

"When I was...," Esme started but was cut off when the most agonizing bout of pain hit her. She felt the breath leave her just as the patch of wetness grew. She moaned and panted for breath while her hand strayed to her thigh, touching the patch. When she brought her hand up, fresh tears cascaded down her face. A splash of red marred her skin. Blood. "Carlisle!" she whimpered and her eyes swiveled up to those of her anxious husband's.

Seeing the blood, Carlisle acted quickly, despite wanting to scream. This just wasn't happening! "It's alright. It's going to be alright," he quickly reassured his wife as well as himself. "Let's go." He hauled Esme up gently and put an arm around her to support her weight, being careful of her protruding belly. "Emmett, come on," he called to the little boy who had hidden behind the chair in the couch. Carlisle felt a pang of grief that his young son had to witness this, but he couldn't dwell on it right now. The little boy obediently followed his parents to the car and climbed into the backseat by himself. After getting Esme settled on the passenger side, Carlisle quickly buckled his son into the car seat before dashing around the side of the car and hopping in the driver's seat. The drive to the hospital was silent, the air stretched very thin with fear. It wasn't until the black Mercedes had pulled up to Forks Community Hospital that the silence was broken.

"Oh God, please no," Esme whispered to no one in particular Carlisle gave her hand a quick squeeze, supporting her. "It's too early."

~To Heal~

_9:31 pm_

_Seattle... Swedish Medical Center_

Esme Cullen's world has been turned upside down. Literally. She was lying on a bed tilted so precariously that her feet were about two feet higher than her head. It was an attempt to keep the babies from pressing against her cervix. But that wasn't what kept her hands gripping tightly to the side of the thin mattress in which she was supine on. Her hands were white from her tenacious grip because she was about to lose her babies. The tears had run dry for the time being, whether because she just didn't have the energy to cry or because she couldn't comprehend the reality, Esme didn't know. She didn't _care._ Tears couldn't give her what she wanted most right now. She just wanted this to be over. To have the doctors tell her that there was nothing wrong. To know that her babies would be alright and healthy when they are brought into the world _thirteen_ weeks from now.

Despite knowing better, she couldn't help but feel a flutter of hope in her chest when the door opened. Perhaps the doctor had come to tell her that all was right in the world again. Tilting her head to the side, she found not the doctor that she had been expecting but the blond hair, blued eyed, gorgeous doctor that was also her husband. He surely wasn't bringing the good news she had been hoping for, but he lit up her world just the same. He always did. Allowing the corner of her lips to tip up in greeting, she released one side of the bed and reached out her hand towards him.

"Hello, love," Carlisle said softly as he took her hand and pressed a warm kiss to her forehead. "My mother just took Emmett home. She said she can take care of him for as long as we need her to."

Esme nodded minutely, she was glad that at least her little boy was safe and sound. Her mind was drifting off again when she heard the sound of a chair scrape against the linoleum floor. She turned her head of light brownish-red hair to see Carlisle pulling up a chair to sit next to her. As always, the pure adoration and love in his eyes made Esme's whole being fill with a warmth that she could never begin to describe. Often times she found herself wondering what she had done to deserve a man like Carlisle Cullen to be her soulmate. If this was going to be the worst night of her life, and she had a feeling that it would turn out to be, she was at least thankful in the sense that she had the best person in the world next to her. They would struggle through this together. For their twins and for each other.

"I love you," Esme whispered. Three words that are spoken so frequently across the world. Special only because of the deeper than describable meaning behind them.

Carlisle lifted the hand that he clasped between his, the one that hadn't been pierced by needles delivering medication to stop Esme's contractions, and kissed the knuckles softly before reaching out to stroke a few stray strands of chestnut hair from Esme's face. "I love you." They lapsed into a comfortable silence born from thirteen years together. No words were needed. As soulmates, they were connected mentally, physically, and spiritually. Unfortunately, this comfortable silence allowed Esme's mind to stray once again.

Her gaze wondered to the to the four screens that surrounded her bed. Two of them were fetal monitors, monitoring the babies' heart beats. The third, her own heart rate. The fourth, her contractions. She was having contractions every five to six minutes. They weren't powerful enough for her to feel, so she wasn't in pain really. Watching the twin green lines trace across the identical screens, she saw that both of her twins had a heart rate of 139 beats per minute. Which was normal. She just wanted them to stay that way. But as she continued watching the lines, hardly feeling Carlisle's thumb trace soothing circles on the back of her hand, she felt dread building within her, threatening to spill over her already cracking resolve.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered into the still air, not sure whether she was speaking to Carlisle or her twins. Or no one at all. Nevertheless, Carlisle tried to reassure her, because he loved her.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked gently. Before Esme could speak, he cut in. "None of this is your fault, angel. No one blames you, so you better not do so either." He conveyed a whole string of assurances, knowing exactly why his wife was sorry. Half standing by the end of his assurances, he pressed his forehead to his wife's, the tips of their noses touching. Though neither of them spoke of it, the fear within their hearts was so prominent that the air was saturated with it. They shared a brief kiss full of love, of understanding, of despair, of an unspoken agreement that they would get through this.

The opening of the door made Carlisle pull away and the couple turned to see Dr. Lara Rivers come through the wide doorway. "The medications aren't helping," she told them gently after a quick greeting. Her voice was full of sympathy. She could only guess at how the couple felt. She had two healthy children at home and the very thought of even the smallest thing happening to them had her gut twisting painfully.

"And?" Esme asked weakly.

"I'm going to give you steroids that will spur the production of surfactant in the babies' lungs. Surfactant keeps their air sacs slightly open. Without them, breathing would require too much energy. We're hoping the steroids will keep your babies from developing Respiratory Distress Syndrome," Dr. Lara informed them, keeping her voice as soothing as possible. "If they survive, that is," she added as an afterthought and winced at her own words. However, the truth was, she didn't want to give the young couple too much hope.

"What's the chances? The full truth please," Carlisle asked her as she injected the steroids into a rubber port on the IV line.

"At twenty seven weeks, your babies have a very small chance of surviving. In the rare occurrence that they do survive, they are likely going to be faced with life long complications. Keeping them alive would amount to very large bills and it would be a very rough ride. The whole experience will be exhausting in every way that the word pertains to. I'm so very sorry."

No matter how many times she has done this, the mind numbing grief never failed to seize her. She felt deeply for each and every couple, or single, that had to hear their babies' prognosis.

Unbidden, tears had begun to leak out of Esme's eyes again as Carlisle's gave a mournful sigh. They already loved the twins to no end. From the day Esme declared herself pregnant, the twins had been a big part of their lives, loved to no end from the time they were no bigger than a thumb tack.

"You have a decision to make. Some parents decide that the quality of their babies' lives would be too horrible to keep them alive, so they let them go. Others want everything possible done for their kids. In the chance that your twins survive, what would you like us to do?" Lara Rivers asked the grieving parents.

Carlisle answered for both of them. "Everything possible."

~To Heal~

_June 17, 1994_

_3:14 am_

Everything had progressed too quickly. Nearly six hours after the administration of the steroids to make the babies produce more surfactant, Esme was wheeled into a large birthing room. Her water had broken just a few minutes ago and the final stages of her labor were under way. As she was pushed through the double doors, she noticed the people already in the room, readied with machines and supplies to welcome to babies into the world. If they were lucky. There was a team of pediatricians and nurses for each twin and they would take over as soon as the babies took their first breath. If they were lucky. She had a death grip on Carlisle's hand, but he didn't seem to mind.

Things happened quickly, yet almost in slow motion after that. One part of Esme wished this whole ordeal would end quickly, while the other part of her just kept wishing that the whole thing never happened in the first place. Neither side got their wishes, as nature had its own agenda.

A nurse relayed to her what she had to do and when throughout the process, though she had already gone through this once.

"I love you, angel," Carlisle whispered into her ear and kissed her on the forehead. Their intertwined hands were clenched tightly together. They had to be strong. There was nothing else that could be done to prevent this so they had to trek forward. No matter how hard it would be.

At 3:24 am, Alice Cullen was born. She gave a tiny cry as she came out before the one of the pediatricians suctioned out her mouth and slipped a tube down her throat to attach her to a respirator. She weighed only one pound 16 ounces. "Too small," Dr. Rivers shook her head when she and Carlisle shared a look. "There's a rough road ahead." Carlisle felt as if he had been bathed in ice water. Esme heard this news too, but she was too focused on the fact that her daughter had cried to think much about it. Her daughter had cried! It was more than Esme could've hoped for.

They allowed Carlisle to hold Alice for the briefest of moments and he showed her to Esme. Despite seeing that her daughter was just a bit bigger than her father's hand, was covered from head to toe in purplish bruises, and had a tube down her throat, the tiny, fragile baby was still her child; so Esme grinned slightly. "Welcome to the world, my daughter," Carlisle whispered to the baby cupped in both of his palms before she was whisked away to the NICU.

At 5:11, just as the sun peeked out about the horizon signaling the crack of dawn, Edward Cullen was born. He weighed only one pound 7 ounces. Shaking her head in dismay, Dr. Rivers said, "Even smaller!" No further explanation was needed and Carlisle felt the cold water pour over him again. Unlike his sister, Edward didn't cry.

"No!" Esme cried, voice rising in a wail. Carlisle blinked back the tears and looked to Dr. Rivers who had handed the baby to the second team of pediatricians.

"No, he's not dead," Dr. Rivers reassured them. "He's just too weak to even cry."

"Please," Esme whispered. Without asking, Dr. Rivers knew what she wanted. The tiny baby was placed in Carlisle's hand and the parents couldn't help but stare for a moment at how incredibly minuscule their son was. His whole body fit onto Carlisle's open palm. Like his sister, he was covered in bruises from the birth as he had no body fat to protect him. After the initial shock, both parents smiled at their precious little son. "Welcome to the world, my son," Carlisle whispered to the baby and just like before, he was taken away to the NICU a moment later.

Their twins had been brought into the world. Alive. Now they just had to keep them alive.

~To Heal~

_9:00 am_

Several hours after the birth of the twins Esme was declared fit enough to pay a visit to her twins. Carlisle wheeled her down to the NICU, passing by a family leaving the hospital on the way. The mother of the family held a baby in her arms, and the same bright smile adorned every family member's faces. Carlisle carefully adverted his eyes and Esme did so as well. But not before the cold blade of jealousy knicked her heart. When they got to the doors of the NICU however, all that faded away and she was left with a tinge of excitement as well as nervousness with the anticipation of seeing her twins. Carlisle had already been down to see them earlier while she was resting.

A nurse greeted them when they were allowed through the door and taught them how to scrub themselves from fingertips to elbows with the brush with a sponge attached to the back that were laid out for them in little sterile packages.

Alice and Edward had been placed in the same general area. The little heated beds they lied on only a few feet apart. Seeing her tiny babies again brought an indescribable joy to Esme's heart. She knew that the road ahead was tough and that she shouldn't keep too much hope around, but she also knew none of that would stop her from loving the babies with all her heart. Beside her, Carlisle was thinking along the same lines.

Each twin had a network of tubes and wires running from their miniature bodies to various machines by their bedside. Their eyes were covered with little patches to protect them from the UV lights over them that were keeping them from developing jaundice. The nurse explained to them what all the tubes were, though Carlisle had a good idea of their function. He was a doctor after all. That didn't keep him from listening with rapt attention, however, the lives of his children were tied to the network of tubes and wires across their bodies. After the explanation, the couple asked about their children's condition.

"They're not doing very well," the nurse told them after a long sigh. "Though Alice is doing slightly better. Girls tend to do better for some reason, we've seen that with many cases. Edward is already in the first stages of Respiratory Distress Syndrome."

The couple turned teary eyes to their two children and were pained at seeing how much effort it took the babies to breathe, even with the help of the machines.

"Are...are...," Carlisle started, choking on the question that he dreaded to ask.

"Are they going to live through today?" Esme asked for both of them, the question having been at the tip of her tongue as well.

"At this point, we think Alice will if she doesn't deteriorate, but Edward will be lucky to see the night fall," the nurse told them solemnly. It felt as if their hearts were being torn out of their chests. A numb feeling spread throughout both Esme and Carlisle as the words registered in their brain. It just wasn't possible. It can't be. The nurse left them to talk to their babies and they went from Alice to Edward and back to Alice and back to Edward. Sometimes, they would stroke the babies' heads with their pinky, but most of the time they talked to them about anything they could and told them just how much they loved them. When the time came to say goodbye to them for the time being, they went first to Alice.

"Keep fighting, little princess," Esme whispered to the tiny girl. "We love you." Then, they turned to her brother to bid him goodbye.

"Don't ever give up, little buddy," Carlisle said to Edward, fighting back a sudden flood in his eyes. "We love you." When they left the NICU, it was Carlisle who broke down first. It wasn't until they reached Esme's room that Esme joined him in convulsing sobs.

Later on in the day, Emmett came to visit and the room was filled with hugs and Emmett's voice telling them what he did at Grandpa and Grandma's house. When he asked about his little siblings, he was told that they were very sick and were staying in the room where sick babies go. He demanded to see them, and Carlisle and Esme spent long minutes explaining to him in simple terms why he couldn't. Emmett being Emmett, would hear none of it and threw a tantrum. Unable to stand it anymore, the three of them made their way down to the NICU to beg the nurses to let Emmett in for just a few minutes. It took a lot of convincing and out right begging before the head nurse finally relented and gave them a few minutes. Emmett deserved to have a chance to see his little siblings since tomorrow wasn't a promise for them. The look on Emmett's face when he took in the sight of his tiny baby siblings was all worth the persuasion. It even caused the nurses around the twins to smile. He had been so filled with wonder that he had literally been dazed, though the parents could tell Emmett quickly switched into big brother mode when a look of fierce protection stole over his face. The look almost seemed a little comical, causing the parents to smile just a bit wider. Carlisle and Esme felt so proud of their son at that moment that pride nearly made them puff out their chests. When he was told he had to go, he didn't even put up a fight. He was given the chance to mutter goodbyes before being carried out by his dad. Back in the room, Emmett sat on the bed and bounced a little from excess energy.

"When I baby, I bigger?" he suddenly asked, unknowingly causing his parents to fill with sadness all over again.

"Yes, you were, Em," Carlisle answered. "You were a lot bigger."

"I big brother!" Emmett exclaimed. To him, that was the reason why he had been bigger. His parents decided to leave it at that.

~To Heal~

_6:00 pm_

Carlisle and Esme were back at the NICU. An hour earlier, a nurse had come by their room to tell them that their twins weren't doing very well at all. They had said Edward's breathing had deteriorated to the point that he couldn't get enough oxygen and didn't have long left. An hour at the most. Alice had a little more time, but she was fading right behind her twin. Dry eyed, the two grief stricken parents had headed down to the NICU to be with their babies in their last moments. There was nothing anyone could do at that point. Numbly, yet with all the love behind their voices, they told the twins over and over how much they loved them and that they didn't have to be scared because they were going to heaven. And that they would be their babies for always and they would all meet again someday.

"Don't be scared," Carlisle whispered as he clutched Esme's hand tightly in his. His words were meant for all four of them to hear. Beside him, Esme was continuously dabbing at her eyes. She refused to break down, for that would make her miss her babies' last moments. They watched as if through a veil as the nurses disconnected the babies from the tubes and wires. The babies were going to be off life support in their last moments so they didn't have to leave the world while their bodies were invaded by all the foreign objects. Besides, those machines and IV lines weren't going to produce a miracle or even help them any longer. The only things left on them were going to be the patches that monitored their heart and their respiration rate.

"Can they be placed on the same bed?" Esme asked the nurses softly. She watched as the heart monitor by Edward's head showed numbers that were rapidly decreasing, meaning her baby's heart was quickly slowing down. Alice's heart was still beating at a steady rate, but her breathing was deteriorating fast.

The nurse quirked an eyebrow at Esme, though she didn't object. "I just want them to be together so they can pass on together. I know it sounds silly, but they have been together since they were just a cell. I just like to think that with each other, they wouldn't be scared," Esme tried to explain.

"It's not silly at all, love," Carlisle said as he kissed Esme's temple every so quickly. "Please?" he asked the nurses. The couple watched as they looked at each other and shrugged.

"I think that's a very touching idea, Esme," one of the nurses said. "Of course we can." The couple breathed out a thanks and watched as they gently scooped up Alice and placed her next to her twin. As the tubes aiding in their breathing were slipped out of both babies' throats, Carlisle and Esme clutched each other so tightly they could've been fused together. The nurses stood off to the side to offer them privacy, but also support as the parents each touched a hand to the babies' heads for a brief moment. They watched, not breathing, as the twins struggled to inhale. They managed one breath, though from the heart monitor, Carlisle could see that Edward's heart was about to give out from the stress. Alice, however, was still maintaining a steady heartbeat, though her oxygen level dropped significantly. It was after the second painful breath, that something happened.

The previously unmoving babies suddenly moved one arm each. Carlisle and Esme watched in awe with tears falling from their eyes as tiny little hands came together and they turned their heads towards each other. It was almost as if Edward and Alice were holding hands in their last moments. When their lungs deflated after their second breath, there was a long moment when everyone thought they would never rise again. Everyone was transfixed as they saw both babies open their eyes just the tiniest bit. When their chests rose again, the nurses thought that it had seemed less painful. But the spectators were unprepared to witness Alice's heart rate climbing back up to a steady 140 while her breaths evened out and supplied her with much needed oxygen. There was a brief moment when Edward's heart started fibrillating and his breathing ceased all together, but then his heart rate climbed up to a steady 140 just like his twin. His breaths evened out and the bruises covering both twin disappeared from their skin in front of disbelieving eyes.

By the time Carlisle and Esme, along with six nurses who had witness the whole situation finally comprehended what had just happened, the twins were sleeping soundly with heads touching. They were no less premature than before and still required a lot of attention, but they were surely not leaving the world either. Simultaneously, Carlisle and Esme dropped to their knees by the bed and thanked whoever had been watching them for the miracle. "It's a miracle," they both whispered loudly and the staff in the NICU clapped for them, though they were just as baffled as the parents. In the end, it didn't matter what had happened. Two precious lives had been saved and that was all that mattered.

When Esme glanced up at the clock, she saw that the time read 6:17. Was it only a coincidence that her babies were born on June 17th? June was the sixth month of the year.

~To Heal~

_June 17, 1994_

_6:17 pm_

_A little village in the middle of no where_

The man's face was streaked with dirt from a hard day of work in the field. As he finally got back to the village, he stared in disbelief at the sight before him. The whole village had been destroyed. Bodies were strewn everywhere and things were littered across the field. Houses had been toppled, nothing had been left standing or alive. He peered around, trying to discern what had caused this destruction. But could find nothing. A freak occurrence.

......

**A/N: Sorry for the long prologue. The summary will make more sense as the story goes on. Please leave a review. They are much appreciated**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_August 23, 1996_

_Forks, Washington_

By this time in their lives, the Cullens had accepted the fact that their twins were different. Over the past two years since the twins were born, there had been quite a few instances in which the family witnessed the twins exhibiting the supernatural power to heal. It seemed, to the family at least, that the twins only had to place their hand on someone and their wounds would heal in a matter of seconds. One time it was a small scrape on Emmett's knee disappearing in front of their eyes. The other time the same thing happened when Esme had knicked herself with a knife while preparing dinner. Though the few occurrences were with minor injuries, Carlisle suspected that his twins were capable of much more. They had, after all, brought each other back from the brink of death on the day they were born. Carlisle had done some research, read myths, and stories of the power to heal, but had given up while he didn't find anything too useful. Since the twins were only two years old, the family had silently decided to wait until they were older to ask them about their supernatural ability. Until then, the Cullens saw nothing wrong with their children and loved their twins more than life itself. Perhaps more because they were extra special in all sense.

~To Heal~

_6:45_

The sound of a wooden chair being dragged across the kitchen floor reverberated around the otherwise quite house, causing Esme Cullen to raise her head from her husband's chest and sigh. Rolling her eyes in amusement, she kissed Carlisle before stating plainly, "Emmett." Her green eyes sparkled merrily as her son's name passed her lips and Carlisle grinned at her. Anyone could see just how much the couple loved their son, not to mention each other. "Wonder what the little guy is up to now."

"Little?" Esme asked and quirked an eyebrow at her still grinning husband. "He's getting so big I can hardly carry him at all. Oh where has the time gone?"

"I wonder the same thing all the time, love," Carlisle said. Then he chuckled a little, "No doubt he will be the biggest kid in class. That'll give him something to brag about." Esme laughed in agreement. Their eldest son was certainly taller and bigger than the average five year old and that was certainly something he immensely enjoyed.

Giving Esme a brief kiss, Carlisle told her to go see what their eldest son was up to. Esme, however, returned the kiss and made it linger, not wanting to leave the cozy warmth of their bed just yet. But when the sound of a kitchen chair crashing to the floor shook the house, Esme leapt from the bed and beelined for the door, Carlisle's chuckles following her as she went. Deciding that sleep wasn't an option any longer, Carlisle got up as well, thinking he might as well go check on his twins.

"Emmett Cullen, what are you doing?" Esme demanded in a stern tone, though the corner of her mouth twitched in amusement. Some might deem it a weakness, but Esme could never bring herself to be truly angry at her children. However, they were young still, so it wasn't as if they had gotten into any trouble so far.

"Oh hi, Mom," Emmett said from his position in a puddle of milk. "I'm just getting some breakfast."

"And why are you up so early?" Esme asked, her hands on her hips as she surveyed the scene in slight dismay. Though the milk carton in Emmett's hands still held half of the milk, she could see the white liquid splattered all over the place. Miraculously, Emmett seemed to have only gotten splashed on his legs.

"It's the first day of school, Mom!" Emmett exclaimed in a tone that implied him being confused as to why Esme asked in the first place. Esme almost smiled at that. She wondered if every kid was this excited about the first day of school. She couldn't remember if she had been herself, but then again, kids starting their first day of kindergarten had little inkling as to what awaited them in their school career. A long, long road.

"Yes it's the first day of school, but school doesn't start until 9:30, silly. It's only six!"

"Almost seven!" Emmett told Esme with a nod that was meant to divert argument. Esme was trying very hard to hold back her laughter at this point, succeeding, until she was betrayed by the shaking of her shoulders. Her son was probably going to turn out to be quite the joker someday. When Emmett raised an eyebrow at her obvious efforts of concealing her laughter, Esme lost it. The ridiculousness of the situation combine with the too funny expression on her five year old son's face sent her tumbling headfirst into a peal of laughter that shook her entire frame. Seeing his mother laugh made Emmett grin and he walked over to the table to put down the milk. Esme winced at the wet footprints he made.

"Clean this up, Em," Esme choked out between giggles.

"Aw, Mom!" Emmett exclaimed. "I have to get ready for school!"

"No you don't, young man. Now clean this up while I fix you some breakfast."

Grumbling softly, Emmett complied. By the time he was done, boxes of cereal and a bowl of milk were waiting for him on the table. Esme watched him fondly as he sat down at the table to eat and perked up when she heard footsteps behind her. Footsteps that she knew by heart. Turning, she found Carlisle smiling at her with two year old Edward perched happily on his arm. Esme's whole being warmed at the precious sight before her. Though the twins were two now, both of them were still only the size of an average one year old. The sight of her tall husband holding their little boy just seemed so sweet to her. She found herself grinning in pure bliss.

"Look who's up!" Carlisle said as he entered the kitchen. He positively glowed from the amount of joy swimming around inside him. Nothing could make him feel like flying but his family.

"Peanut!" Emmett exclaimed and Carlisle laughed at the name, Esme doing the same at his side. For reasons unknown- Emmett wouldn't share- Emmett had dubbed his little brother "peanut". When exactly, they couldn't remember.

"Emmy!" Little Edward returned, emerald eyes twinkling with mirth. The tinkling sound of his laughter filled the whole kitchen. Padding over to Carlisle, Esme planted a soft kiss on her baby's soft little head.

"Morning, baby boy," she said and smiled when Edward's little mouth tilted up to return one.

"Mommy!" he laughed and waved a fist in her direction. "Mowin?"

"Morning," Esme chuckled and rubbed the baby's hair affectionately.

"Ali sweepy," Edward told her.

"Alice is still sleeping?" Esme confirmed while Carlisle chuckled softly.

"Yep," he said. "Don't know why this one is up so early." Between the twins, Alice was usually the early riser. He gave Edward a kiss on the cheek before turning back to his wife. "Why don't you go shower? I'll take over for a bit."

After Esme's footsteps disappeared up the stairs, Carlisle turned and beamed at Emmett, who was bouncing in his seat from what he guessed to be excitement. "Are you that excited?" he asked as he proceeded to warm a bottle of milk. "Edward, do you want some cereal?"

"Cheros!" the little boy cheered and clapped his hands happily.

"You want cheerios?" Carlisle asked and felt his smile stretching his face so wide that he was sure they were going to be sore tomorrow. Aside, he told Emmett to quit bouncing so he could actually eat his breakfast. To which Emmett responded with, "But I'm excited! But, Dad, can I hold Peanut?"

"If you'd quit bouncing," Carlisle replied. "Where did you come up with that name anyway?"

"Aw, Dad, you know I won't tell you!"

"And why not?"

"I don't know," Emmett shrugged, having managed to stop bouncing in his seat. "Now, can I hold him?"

"Be careful," Carlisle warned as he handed Edward over to his brother. He knew that he didn't have to say it, but he always felt better anyway. Emmett was eternally careful with his little siblings and strove to protect them to no end. He absolutely adored them and had their adoration in return. Carlisle watched his two boys interact and wondered how he had been so blessed to have this family. Emmett talked to Edward about the first day of school and Edward responded with much enthusiasm, seemingly understanding everything his older brother was telling him.

Turning to finish preparing the bottle, Carlisle half listened to the boys' conversation and mused on the passing of time. His little boy was starting school already. He could hardly believe it. Even more unbelievable to him was the fact that only two years ago, his twins were no bigger than his palm, and now, they were both walking and talking. Up to this day, Carlisle still thanked whoever had been looking out for them for the miracle that was his twins.

"Alright, Edward, what would you like first?" he asked and turned toward his boys again. Both of the twins still liked having their milk in a bottle and of course, were more than small enough to cuddle up in their parents' arms.

"Milk!" Edward cried and held out his arms to his father. Grinning anew, Carlisle plucked him out of Emmett's arms and settled down in a chair.

"Finish your cereal, Emmett. It's getting soggy." Emmett quickly complied and set about finishing his cereal. Then it was quiet in the kitchen, except for the occasional clink of a spoon against a bowl, as Carlisle fed his little boy and watched him with all the love in the world glittering like stars in his eyes. Edward had a mop of bronze hair crowning his head, a shade darker than his mother's. Freeing a hand to touch that hair, Carlisle smoothed the soft strands and smiled at his son. No words ever made could possibly describe how he felt then, when the little boy in his arms smiled in return around the bottle, emerald eyes that were also a shade darker than Esme's glistening with adoration for his father.

"You have no idea, no idea just how much I love you, little one," Carlisle whispered, his voice rough with emotion. Edward blinked up at his father and no words were necessary. The tender moment swelled to fill the whole room, but was broken when Emmett spoke with a giggle.

"Daddy's getting gooey," he laughed and Carlisle looked up to find Emmett's blue eyes shining with mischief while a corner of his mouth tilted in a smirk. His eyebrows raised in question, Carlisle returned a smirk of his own.

"Really, Emmett? Gooey?" he retorted. "Aw, how about I get gooey on you?" His eyes danced merrily when his son gave a look of disgust.

"No thank you!" Emmett sang. "I don't like goo."

"Are you sure?" Carlisle teased, having too much fun with this.

"Yep!" Emmett nodded and proceeded to hop down from his chair, causing Carlisle to go into a fit of laughter. The moment shattered the next second, however, when Emmett somehow tripped and sent the bowl he had in his hands crashing to the floor. Pieces of the bowl flew around the kitchen and Carlisle watched in horror as two pieces slashed Emmett's exposed legs. Crimson immediately flowed from the wounds and splattered the floor. Time itself had slowed and the room froze, almost as if it was taking a deep breath before allowing the scene to continue.

Startled by the sound of glass breaking on the floor, Edward lost his grip on the bottle and it too fell. Acting quickly, Carlisle leapt from the chair and placed Edward outside the kitchen, telling him to stay there just as Emmett cried out in horror and pain. He rushed back into the kitchen, being careful of the pieces, and lifted Emmett out of the mess. _Thank goodness he's not quite too big to carry,_ Carlisle thought to himself.

"You alright, son?" Carlisle asked and wiped a few stray tears from Emmett's face. Settling him on one of the couches, he knelt down to see how bad the cuts were. Blood was still trickling from the wound, staining Emmett's legs red. He could see that they would need a couple of stitches.

"Hurts, Dad," Emmett told him.

"I know, Em, hang in there," Carlisle said. "You're being very brave. Hang on." Getting up, he went into the kitchen to get a towel, passing Edward on the way. When he came back out, he found the little boy sitting on Emmett's lap, arms wrapped around his big brother's neck. Emmett was holding on to his little brother tightly, as if that would chase away the pain. "No cry, Emmy," Edward said to his brother and Emmett nodded with a small sniffle.

Allowing himself a small smile at the site, Carlisle headed over to the boys and sat himself on the ground.

"Esme! Could you get my bag?" he called up the stairs and Esme returned an affirmative. Turning back to Emmett, he said, "This is going to hurt a bit now." Emmett sniffled again in response and Carlisle looked up just in time to see Edward pat his brother on the head, making him chuckle inwardly.

Gently, he pressed the towel against the laceration on Emmett's leg and felt his son stiffen in response. A moment later, Esme came bounding down the stairs with his medical bag clutched in her hand.

"What happened?" she asked as she handed the bag over.

"Broken glass," Carlisle replied as he took the bag from her. "Esme, can you help me press against this? I need to...," he trailed off, not wanting to say that he had to prepare the needle for stitches. Merely thinking about Emmett's reaction to hearing about that piece of news made him cringe. Without comment, Esme knelt down next to him and pressed her hand against the towel covering Emmett's leg.

"Don't look, honey," Esme told Emmett as Carlisle slipped gloves over his hands and prepared to thread the needle.

"Why not?" Emmett asked.

"Just don't," Esme said. But moments later, it was apparent that Emmett had looked because he gave a violent jerk in fear. Looking up, Carlisle saw Emmett gawking openly at the needle in his hand and then at the syringe that he was preparing to numb the skin.

"No, no, no!" Emmett cried and his parents sighed in unison.

"Em, hold still, this won't take very long," Carlisle reassured him, but Emmett paid no attention to his words. Trapped in Emmett's strong embrace, Edward whipped his tiny head back and forth between his parents and his brother. A frown marred his cherubic face and a faint light of confusion shimmered in his eyes. He understood, however, that his brother was in pain and that was enough for him.

"Daddy, stop!" he yelled, and the room immediately went silent. Nobody had really been paying attention to him. "Emmy, no cry," he said to his brother and Emmett looked at him questioningly before nodding. They all watched silently as Edward placed his forehead against his brother's and closed his eyes with a sigh. Though they all had a very good inkling of what would happen, it still unnerved both Carlisle and Esme to see the lacerations on Emmett's legs heal themselves and disappear without even a scar to betray the fact that they had been there. The whole process took only a few seconds, but to the family, it felt like hours. When the family snapped out of their trance like state, Edward gave Emmett a smile smile.

"No hurt," he whispered. The next moment, he slumped forward as if he had fainted and Emmett gasped in surprise. Esme and Carlisle both reached for him at the same time, but Esme managed to scoop him up first. Upstairs, Alice had apparently woken and was yelling for her twin.

"What's wrong with him, Carlisle?" Esme asked, her voice shaking as she looked down at her son, lying still in her arms. Carlisle gave his son a sweeping glance and placed a finger against the little neck, checking his pulse.

"I don't think there's anything wrong," he concluded, a frown on his face. His son's breathing was normal, as was his heart rate. Physically, there didn't appear to be anything wrong at all.

"Sleeping?" Esme asked, skepticism clear in her voice. But Carlisle's answer was cut off by Alice.

"Eddie!" she shrieked and her parents couldn't help but feel fear grip their hearts at the desperation in her voice. Telling Emmett to stay where he is, they both took off, bounding up the stairs as fast as they could. They found Alice gripping the bars of her crib, eyes ablaze with what was clearly fear. Why such a little girl would be exhibiting so much fear, Carlisle and Esme didn't know, didn't want to know. "Eddie!" Alice shrieked again and held out her arms, she wasn't able to say his full name at this point in life. Edward didn't even stir at the volume of her voice, which worried Carlisle.

"He's right here, Alice," Carlisle told her, confused as to why she was shrieking like that. It was beyond frightening. His mind flipped unconsciously to scary thoughts. What if Alice knew something they didn't? What if something was really wrong? Neither him nor Esme would brush those ideas aside, however, because the twins had more than just a supernatural ability to heal, but also an almost supernatural like bond. At least, a strong enough bond that even the most casual observer could see it at some point.

"What's wrong?" Esme asked, voice shaking again and this time Carlisle could almost hear the tears in her voice. She was frightened, and so was he. Both of them were rooted to the floor in the bedroom and neither of them could seem to move. Esme had a death grip on her son, who still hadn't so much as twitched this whole entire time. She knew that it had to be unnatural, even though Edward wasn't showing any signs to indicate otherwise.

"Here, now!" Alice cried, her voice still high and shrill, laced with frustration. She patted, more like pounded, the space next to her and waved her arms at Edward. Still completely unsure of what was going on, both parents approached her bed and Esme carefully set Edward down next to his sister. The moment she did, Alice dropped to her knees and held her twin tight.

"What? Ali?" Edward whispered a second later and sat up.

"You okay," Alice sighed and the two of them hugged each other tight. Esme and Carlisle looked at each other, confusion clear on their faces. They had absolutely no idea what had caused Alice to react so, but they felt that something terrible had been prevented.

Smiling at the sight of the twins clinging on to each other, Carlisle and Esme felt their fear drain into oblivion.

~To Heal~

_9:00 pm_

Carlisle sighed as he sank back into the plush couch with Alice in one arm and Edward in the other, they were both light enough to not cause him any discomfort. Adorably enough, the twins had one hand intertwined with the other while both of them were clearly nodding off to dream land. On one side, Esme was leaning against his shoulder while she played with Alice's jet black hair. To his other side, Emmett was curled up and fast asleep, worn out by the first day of school. Pressing a kiss on each of the twins' heads, Carlisle sighed again and absently mused on how much he would love it if he could freeze time now. He hardly paid any attention to the news in front of him. Why would anything else matter, when his perfect family was safe and sound, cuddled up together and sharing warmth? Why would anything else matter because he felt luckier than the luckiest man alive. This was paradise and he would never, ever trade it for anything else.

"At seven thirty this morning, a mudslide in Cameroon swept away three people. All of them are presumed to be dead. While there are no other fatalities as of now, the mudslide has blocked the road. It may be several days before it can be cleared."

Carlisle perked up slightly at the news report. Perhaps it was because of his profession, but any news of disaster of any sort perked his interest. He lazily focused his attention on the TV screen in time to see a picture of the road buried under a hill of mud, rocks, and branches. He felt a pang of grief for the lives that had been lost and hugged his babies to him just a little bit tighter. Briefly praying for the family, he thanked the lord that it hadn't been anyone in his precious family. Pressing his lips to Alice's head, he then turned to his wife and gave her a kiss as well.

"We should head to bed, love," she whispered. "These kids are worn out." Nodding in agreement, Carlisle stood up with both twins and waited for Esme to get Emmett. Allowing himself a small smile when Esme grunted under the wight of their son, he turned and proceeded up the stairs.

~To Heal~

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed that somewhat. Please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_June 8, 2001_

_Seattle, Washington_

_5:30 pm_

The sky was a great canvas, painted blue, purple, orange, pink, and gray, a soothing combination to many who sat beneath it, finally at the end of a long day. A slight breeze blew across the park, tickled the leaves of giant trees and gently caressed the faces of every individual that had come to the park for a blissful afternoon under the setting sun.

Carlisle Cullen sighed against his wife's shoulder in content while he watched his children running around around him and his wife. This was such a nice release after a long and tiring day. "I love you," Esme whispered against his ear.

"And I you, angel," Carlisle said and turned his head to give his wife a kiss.

"Eww, Daddy!" a little girl's voice rang out and the couple broke their kiss with a simultaneous eye roll. Alice skipped over to her parents, who were sitting on the grass, and plopped herself down with more grace than most kids her age. At seven years old, she had boundless energy and seemed to be ubiquitous. With her constant laughter and seemingly never fading smile, anybody could see that she enjoyed life and was extremely happy. And she positively glowed with life. Green eyes dancing with silent, constant laughter, she gazed at her parents happily and Carlisle swore he could see the questions that were forming in Alice's mind.

"Daddy, why are leaves green?" she asked and paused briefly for an answer that Carlisle had no idea to, before continuing on. Sometimes when she was bored, she would spew questions and really didn't care if she got answers or not. "Why is water clear? Why is a baby kangaroo called joey? Why do baby girls get pink blankets?" As Alice went on and on with her questions, Carlisle and Esme tried to stifle their laughter. It would seem that Alice was extra bored today, for the rate at which she was firing her questions was a bit faster than normal.

"Alice, why aren't you playing with your brothers any more?" Esme finally asked, cutting Alice off mid-sentence. There was only so much they could take before Alice's high voice brought on a headache, however horrible it was to admit.

"Because they wanted to climb a tree and I didn't want to," Alice said.

"Why not? It's fun," Carlisle said in amusement as Esme whipped her head around, trying to locate her sons.

"I don't know," Alice shrugged and turned to find her brothers. It wasn't hard to find them, since Edward's mop of bronze hair stood out quite clearly, even as the lighting in the park grew dim.

"Boys, be careful!" Esme called as she saw Emmett give his little brother a boost onto the lowest branch of the tree before climbing up as well. Alice giggled softly when she saw Esme staring at the tree with the intensity of a hawk.

"So, Alice," Carlisle said, "I've got a question for you."

"What?"

"Well, I have been meaning to ask you guys this, but how does your little healing power work? I'm quite curious." He had never really found the chance to ask either of his twins about their power. Every time he thought he would ask, something else would distract him. And now that his twins were old enough to and had a pretty vast vocabulary, he was indeed, quite curious to hear what they had to say.

"Um, I don't really know how to describe it, Dad," Alice said. "It's like an... energy, I guess... that's always there. I don't know. I can just feel it and when I want to use it, the energy gets transferred to the person and they heal. I'm not sure how it works, it just happens."

"Hm, so you can use it whenever you want to?"

"I guess," Alice replied.

"And this energy that you say, can you describe that a little more?" Carlisle asked and Alice shrugged. Before answering, she crawled into her dad's lap and rested the back of her head against his shoulder.

"It flows within me. I don't know how to put it in words, Dad. It just flows."

Carlisle chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Maybe I'll ask Edward about it then. Do you guys ever talk about it?"

"No. It's something that we share but doesn't have to actually talk about." Alice shrugged again. The truth was, she and her twin could communicate without words most of the time. She couldn't explain how, just like she couldn't explain the gift that they had, but they were that in tune with each other. Sometimes, she mused, they were even able to feel each other's pain when something happened.

Carlisle wanted to ask more questions for the sake of his scientific mind, but he also knew that Alice couldn't really answer him. Though her description of the energy intrigued him even more. It was unlike anything he had ever heard of. But then again, he had never believed in the supernatural until the day of his children's birth. He thought a little more about what Alice had said, and was prepared to ask another question when Esme interrupted with a shout.

"Boys, be careful!" she nearly screeched and Carlisle saw her getting to her feet. He felt a rumble in Alice's small body as she laughed slightly.

"The whole park can hear you, Mom," she giggled and playfully covered her ears with her hands. Carlisle stifled laughter of his own when Esme turned her head and gave them both a glare.

"Mom, look at how high we are!" Emmett's voice boomed and both Carlisle and Alice looked toward the tree to see that the boys were indeed quite a ways off the ground. Father and daughter waved in amusement at the boys just as Esme gave a huff of frustration that sent Alice into another fit of giggles.

"You kids get down this instant! You're too high up as it is!" she yelled at them. This time, Carlisle cringed at the harsh, demanding tone. Esme could be scary when she was angry... which wasn't often.

"Oh alright!" Emmett called back and nobody could mistake the tone of frustration saturated in his voice. The three Cullens watched with varying degrees of attention as the boys made their way down the tree. It made Carlisle and Esme so proud to see how careful Emmett was being as he helped Edward step from branch to branch. They were near the bottom branch in no time.

"Mom," Alice started when the three of them no longer felt the need to scrutinize every move the boys were making. However, just as Esme turned her head, the sound of a branch snapping tore through the air as loud as a gunshot. Seconds later, the soul wrenching screams of a child in pain shattered the peacefulness of the afternoon. A split second of surprise froze Carlisle and Esme where they were watching in horror as their little bronze haired boy became a crumpled heap at the base of a tree, screams resonating around the park like a siren from the depths of hell itself. But they found moments later, that the sudden silence was even more terrifying than the screams.

Alice was the first one to react. She sprang to her feet and dashed across the grass faster than anyone had ever seen her run, as if she was being carried by the wind itself. "Edward!" she screeched in a voice shrill with fear and pain, no doubt feeling her brother's pain as well. "Edward!" Her second call for her twin broke her parents out of their horror stricken state and they ran after their little girl as fast as their feet would carry them.

Dropping to her knees beside her twin as she reached him, Alice couldn't shake the anxiety as she took in the sight of her brother crumpled there like a carelessly thrown rag doll. His face, paler than a sheet of paper and marred by a scrape that bled crimson onto the ghastly skin. What scared her the most, however, was the sight of the white bones sticking out at a ninety degree angle from the mutilated flesh from his arm. Edward was still conscious, despite the pain that he must've been feeling, though Alice didn't know if he was lucid enough to even comprehend her presence. "Hang in there. I'm here," she whispered to him and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. His agony glazed eyes met hers, identical green eyes locked together, reassuring each other without words. She reached out a hand and touched it to his cheek, the touch sending his eyes closed, lashes feather light on pale cheeks. So caught up in their own world, neither of them noticed the approach of their parents until they spoke, words tumbling over each other's.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Emmett sobbed, hysteria in his voice. Alice snapped her gaze away from Edward's briefly to look at her older brother, whom she hadn't even noticed until now. "I couldn't catch him... It just happened so fast! I'm sorry!" As Esme rushed to assure her son that it was not his fault, Carlisle assessed Edward's injury and shook his head.

"Compound fracture," he muttered. "Let's go to the hospital." He made a move to pick up the small boy, but Alice shook her head at him.

"No need, Dad," she said and gave him a look that suggested he should've known better.

"But...," Carlisle said and he shook his head, unable to wrap his head around the idea even though he _did_ know better. "Can you heal this? Wait, why isn't he healing himself?" The second question he wondered to himself.

The only reply he got from his daughter was another shake of her head. Black hair scattering around her head. Then she leaned over and placed her forehead against Edward's and closed her eyes. "Ali," Edward muttered with moan and a slight twitch of his head. Carlisle reached out a hand, before pulling it back, knowing that Alice wouldn't want him to interfere. On the other hand, Esme was holding a now quiet Emmett in her arms while both of them looked on in awe at the twins. The truth was, even after seven years, the whole concept of healing by touch was just too other worldly to wrap their minds around completely.

"Hush, Eddie," Alice whispered as she concentrated. "I got you."

"Love you, Ali," Edward replied and relaxed a bit under his sister's gentle touch. Emmett, Esme, and Carlisle then witnessed the most amazing healing process they have ever seen to this day. This injury being the worst one so far. The protruding fragment of bone seemed to get absorbed back into the arm as the family watched. While fresh blood created crimson rivers against Edward's pale skin, the white bone was slowly pulled back into the arm and disappeared beneath already healing flesh. The arm then set itself to its normal, straight position with an audible pop. When no traces of the bone was left, the split flesh drew itself together and scabbed over, only to lose its scab a second later and leave no trace of the wound having ever been there.

A moment of silence settled over the family of five before Alice pulled back from her brother and smiled at him. "Thanks, Alice," Edward whispered to her and gave her a smile that brimmed with appreciation. He lifted his previously injured arm and flexed the fingers. "It's so weird, having the power used on me."

Laughing softly, Alice ruffled his hair a bit. "Does it? Maybe it'll be my turn next time."

"Let's hope not," Esme commented.

"How do you feel, son?" Carlisle asked as he helped Edward sit up.

"Fine."

"Peanut, I'm so sorry," Emmett said solemnly and Edward quirked an eyebrow at his brother. He hardly ever used that name anymore, reserving it only when he was scared or teasing. Getting up, Edward moved over and gave Emmett a hug.

"It's not your fault, Em," me muttered. And really, it wasn't. Emmett hugged his brother back with vigor, still trembling from the scare of seeing his brother fall out of the tree, his small hand slipping through his own as he tried and failed to catch Edward. "It's okay." The two brothers stayed in their embrace for awhile longer before pulling apart.

"Let's all go home," Carlisle said eventually and everyone nodded in agreement. As the family headed toward their car, Edward took Alice's hand in his, a sign of comfort that they had been using since they were infants.

Alice turned to him, her green eyes shining softly in the dim light and meeting his identical gaze. "I was so scared," she whispered and shivered.

"I know," Edward said and put an arm around her shoulders and touched his head to hers. "But I'm okay." Alice nodded and put an arm around her brother's shoulders as well, but Edward could sense that something was still bothering his twin. She was still afraid of something, but he knew she would tell him if she wanted to so he didn't pry. They were still the same height as they've been since they were only toddlers. The twins neared the car before the rest of the family since the family had decided to give them some space to comfort each other.

"Edward," Alice said, "what if you get hurt someday and I can't get to you in time?" Voicing the thought aloud made her shiver violently. Until today, she had never even considered that possibility. She never had to. So far in their lives, they've only been separated a day at the most and neither of them had ever tried to imagine they that would change because they were two parts of a soul in a sense. So why would they ever want to be separated? Then again, they were only seven and it wasn't something seven year olds generally thought about.

"There are doctors like dad, Alice," Edward told her in response to her question. He wouldn't let her see it, but the question had made him rather uneasy as well. "Everyone else in this world has to live without special powers and they get by."

"But people die when doctors can't save them," Edward," Alice whispered and rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

"Everyone dies eventually," Edward mused.

"I know, but...,"

"It's alright, Ali. Don't worry about such things."

"What if I can't get to you in time when you're hurt?" Alice asked again, working herself into a terror stricken state. Instead of answering, Edward wrapped his arms around his sister and held her close. He didn't really have an answer to her question other than what he had already said before.

The twins were still holding each other close when the rest of their family found them. "You kids alright?" Esme asked.

"Why the miserable look?" Emmett asked as he came up behind the twins and laid a hand on each of their shoulders. Edward and Alice glanced once at each other before breaking their hold.

"We're fine," Edward answered for the both of them.

"Let's go home," Alice said and everyone piled into the car, sighing gratefully as they settled into the seats.

Faint snores could be heard from the backseat as Emmett, sandwiched between the twins, slept. Other than that and the soft purr of the engine, the car was silent. Thinking that she'd put on some music, Esme pressed the power button to the radio and paused for a moment as the news came on. "Earlier this afternoon, an earthquake of 8.4 magnitude killed fifty people. Search and rescue workers are still looking for survivors. No further fatalities have been reported."

A shiver ran up Esme's spine and she quickly switched to music. She glanced at Carlisle, seeking his reaction to the news, knowing such reports interested him. He gave her a quick glance and shook his head before turning his eyes back to the road. Esme needed no words from her husband though to know that they were both feeling the same thing. Grief and sympathy for the families of those people, as well as thanks for the safety of their own family. Having children with the ability to heal was sort of like an insurance for them, though Esme felt guilty of admitting it.

Still awake in the backseat, the twins met each other's eyes as thoughts and feelings were silently shared across their bond. They had learned an important lesson today. Their power couldn't be taken for granted, it didn't ensure their survival. A time may come when one of them wouldn't get to the other should something terrible occur. The thought of having to let go of each other like so many people had to was an unspeakable terror festering in their hearts.

Simultaneously, the twins reached across Emmett and clasped each other's hand in reassurance. They still had each other, and that was all the reassurance they needed now. Unknown to the twins, their mother was watching their silent interaction in the mirror.

Blinking back sudden tears, Esme wondered why she suddenly felt a horrible, horrible sense of dread in her heart.

~To Heal~

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Review if you'd like, though I would certainly appreciate it.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_May 24, 2006_

_Somewhere on Highway 101_

_3:00 pm_

"This can't be normal," fifteen year old Emmett Cullen commented from the back seat of the minivan. He pressed his face to the window of the car and tried to see beyond the flurry of snow swirling around outside.

"What can't be normal?" Alice asked from her spot in the middle row.

"The snow, Alice," Emmett sighed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Dad, when are we going to get home?"

"At this rate? Not for a long time yet," Carlisle said absently, concentrating on trying to see and making sure he didn't slip on a bank of snow or something. The answer was met with three groans as all three of the Cullen children voiced their displeasure. Although it was only three o'clock in the afternoon, it already appeared to be night time. With the blizzard raging mercilessly, the visibility on the highway was only a couple of feet in front of each car. It goes without mentioning that the traffic had slowed to a trickle, everyone moving what seemed like only a few inches at a time. And with good reason. One could barely see the tail lights of the car in front, making driving a very, very dangerous thing to be doing. Like many other families that had been unaware of the storm brewing and had stayed on the road, the Cullens had no choice but to keep trekking on. They couldn't even see where they were at, much less get off the highway.

"This can't be normal," Emmett commented again after huffing out a sigh of frustration.

"You're right, Em," Esme said from the front seat, glancing back at her son with barely masked concern on her face. "A blizzard like this in the middle of September? It's ridiculous."

"See what the radio has to say, Mom," Edward told her and his twin nodded in approval. But when Esme depressed the button to turn on the radio, all they heard was static. After switching to various channels to test their luck, Esme gave up and shut it off. Edward and Alice looked at each other, sharing the same thought: _That's not good._

A loud sigh came from the backseat and both twins turned to see their older brother staring out the window with a grumpy look on his face. "This sucks!" he burst out suddenly.

"Emmett Cullen! Watch your language!" Esme said sharply from the front seat, causing Alice to giggle.

"I only said suck!" Emmett protested. "That's not even a bad word."

"I don't care, young man. You need to be a good role model for your younger siblings." The statement made Alice giggle even more and Edward to grin mischievously at his brother who had let out another huff of frustration.

"Oh, you two think this is funny?" Emmett asked, lacing his tone with anger when he noticed a joke being silently shared between the younger siblings in question. He got a great sense of amusement when both of them turned to him, identical green eyes wide with fear. "I'll show you what's funny," he said and nearly lost his facade when both twins shook their heads hurriedly. But then, it turned out the joke was still on him when Edward let a smile slip across his face before his eyes widened and both he and Alice ducked out of sight.

"You two are in for it now!" Emmett boomed, making his voice extra scary on purpose. Sometimes he wished the twins weren't so in tune with each other. A snort came from the front of the car before he had the chance to do anything, however. "Aw, Dad! You stole my thunder!" Emmett whined and Carlisle laughed.

"I can't help it," he said in defense. The twins, thinking it was all clear, peeked their heads above the top of the seats, only to be grabbed by Emmett.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed and proceeded to tickle his little sister and brother mercilessly. He had long since discovered the fact that both of them were extremely ticklish. Both of them squealed in delight and laughed until their belly's hurt so much that they attempted to yell for Emmett to stop.

"S...s...to...top!" Alice shouted between laughter.

"What do you say?" Emmett asked gleefully, immensely enjoying this.

"You win!" Edward and Alice yelled at the same time. Grinning anew, Emmett stopped his attack and sat back with a satisfied expression as his eleven, nearly twelve year old siblings, gasp for breath from all the laughter. In the front seat, both Esme and Carlisle were chuckling at their children's antics. Emmett turned to gaze out at the darkness that only allowed a tiny amount of light again and nearly sighed again when he found the snow still falling furiously from the sky. He turned back, though, when the twins simultaneously yawned.

"Do you guys have to do everything at the same time?" he teased. "It's kinda creepy sometimes you know."

"Emmett," Esme warned from the front seat.

"I'm only joking, Mom," Emmett said.

"Right," the twins chorused, making Emmett chuckle. When they yawned again a moment later, he rolled his eyes good naturally. They both knew he didn't mean it. He loved them to no end and vice versa, it was just fun to tease once in a while.

"You kids tired?" Carlisle asked and spared a quick glance in the rear view mirror.

"I think laughing tired us out," Alice said, answering for both of them with another high pitched giggle.

"Get some rest then. We still have a long ways to go."

"Dad, can we go in the backseat?" Edward asked.

"That's not a good idea," Esme quickly put in. "I don't want you kids to unbuckle your seat belts."

"But we're not even moving!" Edward pointed out, stating the obvious. Esme stared at her son for a brief moment before giving them the affirmative. Sometimes, she could never deny them anything.

Grinning, Emmett scooted himself to the middle of the seat, knowing what the twins wanted. He watched in amusement as they quickly unbuckled their seat belts and scrambled to the back of the minivan. They plopped down on either side of him and re-buckled their seat belts, making Esme nod and turn back around in approval.

At fifteen years old, Emmett was bigger than average, as he had always been. Now that he had started working out, he was layering on quite a bit of muscle as well. Compared to him, his younger siblings were rather small. Which worked to their advantage when they wanted to snuggle up with their older brother. Edward and Alice each placed their head on his chest and he wrapped one arm around each of them, protecting them as he had promised himself to do since the beginning as well as providing them with a makeshift blanket. He was secretly happy that they still trusted him enough to do this, though he'd never admit it out loud. He had a fifteen year old boy's reputation to keep after all.

"I remember when you two were about the size of Dad's palm," he said quietly, his little siblings humming in response. They had been told about their birth a couple years ago. Their eyes were already drooping, not really paying attention to their brother. Carlisle and Esme were, however.

"You remember that?" Carlisle asked, astonished. Emmett had never mentioned it before. "You were so young!"

Emmett gazed down at his brother and sister, already asleep in his embrace. "Yeah, I think it may very well be my earliest memory," he whispered. "I remember feeling so incredibly awed at seeing how unbelievably small they were. I mean, I had never imagined babies could be so small. Even to my three year old understanding, I had known that babies were supposed to be bigger. And I suppose it was because of seeing them like that that I swore to myself to protect them. As a big brother should."

"We have been so proud of you, Em. Edward and Alice could never find a better brother in this universe," Esme said, her voice suspiciously rough.

"You were so excited when we told you we were expecting your new siblings. Do you remember that?" Carlisle asked.

"Not really," Emmett said, "I don't recall that moment, but I know I was excited."

"I still can't believe that they had been so small," Esme mused. "That day was the scariest yet the best day of my life. And... oh god... they nearly died on that day."

"What?" Emmett gasped, causing the twins to stir beneath his arms. Keeping his voice at a minimum, he tried again. "How come you guys never told me this?"

"We never had the reason to, son," Carlisle answered. "It wasn't something that you really needed to know since it was all in the past and both of them survived."

"But... but... How could you keep something like that from me?"

"You weren't aware of it, so why should we have burdened you with it? It was the most terrifying experience ever. Besides, would telling you have changed anything?" Esme asked, shuddering as she recalled the memory of those few minutes in which her twins had been fighting so hard to live, exhausted from the effort of breathing.

"I... I guess not," Emmett said. "But I just feel like it's something that everyone should know about because it just adds to how much of a miracle my little sister and little brother are." A moment of silence stretched between them as Carlisle and Esme contemplated their son's words.

"You're right, son. We shouldn't have kept that from you," Carlisle finally sighed before adding in a teasing tone, "You know, you are becoming quite wise. Never would've guessed with that joker face you put on."

Emmett smiled and stuck his tongue out at his Dad, knowing that he wouldn't see it anyway. Then he settled back into the seat as the car continued to inch forward bit by bit. Glancing down, he saw that Alice and Edward were holding onto each other again. Lips tipping up once more in a smile and blue eyes glittering with adoration, he hugged them both just a little tighter to his muscular body. "Some things never change," he mused aloud and his parents chuckled in agreement, knowing what he was referring to just by his tone.

~To Heal~

_4:00 pm_

As the minivan rounded the turn, the wheels met a sheet of ice and the car swerved dangerously, remaining in control only because of Carlisle's quick reaction. They had finally found an exit off the highway, but the weather had only gotten worse. A good foot and a half of snow now blanketed the town or city they had ended up in. Just which town/ city, they weren't sure, for the name had been covered by snow when they had passed the sign. Regardless, their priority was to get to somewhere they could wait out the storm.

"Daddy, are we there yet?" Alice asked as she blinked sleep from her eyes, having been jolted awake when the car had swerved.

"No, we just pulled off the highway to wait out the storm," Carlisle told her while keeping a white knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

"Go back to sleep if you want, sleepyhead," Emmett said. "We're going to be here for a long time yet."

Shaking her head, Alice slipped out from under his arm and leaned over to look out the window. The world outside the car was a blur of hardly visible lights and snowflakes that were still falling rapidly. "Has this ever happened before?" she asked. "A giant blizzard like this in September I mean."

"Well, it happens in different parts of the world I'm sure, but I don't know about California," Esme told her daughter.

"Why is it happening now then?" Emmett asked. Pressed to him on the other side, Edward slept on.

"I don't know."

"Do you know where you're going, Dad?" Alice asked and Emmett thought he could hear just the tiniest trace of fear in her voice. He put his arm around her shoulders in assurance.

"Well, not really," Carlisle said. "But I'm sure we'll be able to find some place to stay."

"Don't worry, kiddo, the worst thing that'll happen is if we have to sleep in the car right?" Emmett tried to lighten his sister's mood by employing his trademark humor, but Alice only appeared to get a little more anxious. Changing tactic, Emmett decided to lose the fake lightheartedness and get into big brother mode. "What's wrong, lil sis?"

"Ali? You okay?" Edward suddenly said, blinking awake and making Emmett jump. Oh why did the twins have to be so attuned to each other?

"I don't know," Alice shrugged. "Just want to be home is all."

"We'll be home soon," Edward reassured her and reached out to give her hand a squeeze. "Right, Emmett?"

"Of course, baby bro," Emmett confirmed and smiled reassuringly at his younger siblings. One of the things he liked about being the older sibling was the fact that his siblings would look to him for reassurance.

"Don't worry kids, we...," Esme started, but her words were cut off by the sound of the blaring horn of a car. Nobody had any time to react. They never saw it coming.

One moment they had just slipped into the other lane because theirs was moving too slowly, and the next, a blinding light filled their vision. No one would ever figure out why that car had been barreling down the street against the traffic. Tires squealed as they fought for purchase on the snowy ground that offered little traction. The Cullens' world was blown into oblivion when glass shattered around them as the incoming car hit them dead on. The impact threw the car to the side, tilting it precariously on two wheels before it righted itself with a muffled thud. Eyes squeezed tight, Emmett was holding his little siblings so close to him they would have bruises the next day, though it was the least of their worries. Alice's scream rose in a wail through the car and into the flurry of snow. Not even a second later, another car hit them from the back, sending the three children crashing to into the back of the second row seats. Blood spewed from Emmett's nose and Alice screamed again. As the scream died on its last note of terror, near silence blanketed them.

Sitting there, dazed and bleeding from various lacerations, hearts racing and breaths coming in hard gasps, Emmett, Alice, and Edward opened their eyes to the crumpled remains of the car, lit eerily by flames that had started in the engine of the other car. Outside, the snow still swirled relentlessly, touching down upon the wreck that composed of four cars, now mangled hunks of metal, and melted upon the flames that grew ever brighter.

"Dad!" Edward yelled, voice high and terror ridden as Alice yelled for their mother. They were both dangling out of car in twisted positions as their seat belts anchored them to the wreck, the doors of the car having been torn out sometime during their crash. Neither parent answered their children's desperate pleas. Their spirits trickling out of their mutilated bodies even as their children trembled in the back seat. Emmett, though just as teary as his siblings, was the first to come to his senses and see that the fire had grown and was threatening to come into the car.

"Move, move!" he cried and his voice trembled so much that it no doubt frightened all three of them further. He fumbled with his seat belts, then went on to help Alice, whose hands shook so badly they were incapable of even depressing the release button.

"Ahh!" Edward suddenly screamed and Emmett reeled around to see his brother's face twisted in pain as he stared at the shard of glass protruding from his side. "Emmett!" he screeched and turned agonized eyes to Emmett, pleading him for help. Emmett could see the dazed look in his eyes as well, an expression that made him look like he was about to pass out.

"It's alright, you'll be alright," Emmett whispered placing his his hands on either side of his brother's face as if he was attempting to hold on to Edward's consciousness. He didn't know what else to say. "We're all gonna be alright." He wiped his still bleeding nose with one arm absently as he searched for a way to get out. All of the windows were broken, though he saw that it would be a tight fit, even through the biggest windows on the sliding doors. Nevertheless, he quickly told Alice to climb out, boosting her while reassuring her at the same time. She managed to get out, but obtained a few more cuts in the process.

Edward watched his twin sister get out, and felt a quick pang of relief. Emmett turned to him next and told him to do the same thing. But every movement sent soaring agony throughout his being and he cried from the pain. "Come on, Peanut," Emmett said, calling on the baby nickname again. "We have to get out. You can do this" Edward saw his brother spare a quick glance at the fire that had spread from the other car (which was squished against theirs) and onto the hood of their minivan, becoming dangerously close to their unconscious parents. Gritting his teeth from the agony, Edward followed his brother's instructions and was given a boost out of the window. He landed on his side in the snow, but didn't have time to really register the pain before Alice quickly pulled him to his feet and pressed her face to his as they gave each other a quick embrace.

They both turned to see Emmett trying valiantly to squeeze out of the window. He eventually managed to, but as he was doing so, the jagged pieces of broken glass cut into his flesh and some embedded into his hands and legs. Though he tried, Emmett didn't manage to contain his scream of pain. "Emmett!" both twins cried as he slumped to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Don't worry, guys," Emmett managed, but squeezed his eyes shut as more blood flowed from his nose. Edward and Alice shook their heads and simultaneously and Edward placed his hand on his older brother. Within seconds, Emmett had been healed of all lacerations and his nose bleed had stopped. Pieces of glass that had previously been embedded into his flesh fell out and onto the snow on their own. Healing Emmett brought some sense back into the shock stricken twins and they immediately realized what they had to do. Edward turned to Alice and quickly healed her wounds and she did the same for him.

"Go to Mom," Edward said to Alice, and she nodded. Emmett got up and went with her after Edward's instruction to do so. He then rushed over to Carlisle, who was still dangling lifelessly from the car. Suppressing wails of horror at the mutilated flesh covering Carlisle's face and body, as well as the twisted angles of the limbs and the protruding bones in one leg, Edward reached a shaking hand into the car and quickly found the release for the seat belt. The heat of the flames scared him. They It was so close now. Releasing the seat belt, Edward barely caught his father as he fell, and went down with him to the blood stained snow.

"Dad!" he sobbed as he checked for any signs of life. He placed two fingers against Carlisle's neck, as Carlisle had taught him to do when he had expressed an interest in medicine two years ago, and felt sickened to his very soul when he felt no pulse there. Tears blurring his vision, he found that his dad wasn't breathing either. "Dad," Edward choked all the while drawing as much power as he was able to. He didn't know if he could do this, but he would. He had to.

With tears cascading down his face, he laid his forehead against Carlisle's, not thinking about the blood bathing the skin. Through their extraordinary bond, he felt Alice do the same with Esme. Concentrating harder than he had ever done, he focused all the energy flowing around him and within him into a channel and let it flow from him into his dad, whom he adored to no end. He sensed, rather than felt, all the wounds healing themselves, however bad. But he neither sensed a heartbeat nor heard the sound of breathing, for there were none.

It seemed to Edward that he was there for hours and hours. Sirens wailed in the distance and snowflakes continued to fall from the sky. The flames from the cars growing ever brighter, turning a lot of the snow to water. He wasn't aware of the other survivors of the wreck trying to save themselves, nor of the fleeing souls as many passed on, beyond the veil of tears. Nor was he aware of the cold bite of wind and snow against his exposed skin and the dry heat of the flames at his back. He wasn't aware of anything but Alice, who was also locked in a battle with death. Both of them were using their gift to their fullest extent as they fought to untangle their parents from their tango with death, their would be last dances as mortals. It seemed like an eternity, but within the world that Edward and Alice had both retreated to, blessed heartbeats poured at last into their awareness as breaths of life whispered against their ears.

Edward pulled back just as Carlisle blinked up at his son. "Edward," Carlisle whispered and sat up to embrace his son who trembled and swayed wearily within his grasp. Sighing against his baby boy's head, Carlisle shook with him as he comprehended his near death experience. He was only alive now because of his son. With Edward held securely within his arms, he remembered a lifetime of holding him, from the time he was only the size of his palm to now, and sighed again, knowing he had come so close to leaving his family behind. After a prolonged moment, Carlisle released his son to reunited with the rest of the family. Pulling himself and Edward off the ground, they made their way around the car to find Alice held firmly within Esme's arms as Emmett wrapped his arms around his mother and sister. They were all sobbing from exhaustion and shock, relief and an insane feeling of a mixture of joy, thanks, and disbelief at having both parents returned from the dead due to their twins' supernatural abilities.

Alice and Edward ducked out of their parents' embrace and ran to each other. Their embrace desperate, foreheads touching as they conveyed to each other assurances and love and all their fears that they couldn't put into words. Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett came to both of them and the three family members made a tight, safe circle around the twins that were not only miracles, but bringer of miracles as well. The scene would've been a perfect picture, as perfect as it could be while taking place in the middle of a terrible wreck, but like many other things in life, it wasn't perfect.

"Edward?" Alice's voice suddenly cut through the temporary calm. The family was startled by the evident fear and concern permeating the voice in which she had said her younger twin brother's name. Edward blinked at her and gave her a soft, knowing smile, feeling the darkness around him already. Wet droplets flowing down his cheeks as if he were crying.

"You're bleeding," Alice whispered and lifted a finger to brush at the drop of blood that had cascaded down Edward's cheek. She stared at it in horror, but then felt wetness drip from her nose the same time as Edward did.

"Ali?" Edward whispered in return and touched a finger to his sister's face as well. Identical green eyes met, terror almost like electricity flying between them as the rest of the family stared at them in horror, frozen in shock. "Alice," Edward said again as he felt more tears, no, blood cascade down his cheeks. Their hands were clasped tightly when, not even a few seconds later, they collapsed, suddenly going limp like rag dolls. Their falls were intercepted, however, when Emmett quickly caught his brother and Carlisle caught his daughter. The three of them gazed down at the youngest members of the family in fear. Blood still trickled out of both their noses, as well as from under Edward's closed eyes.

Carlisle's mind reeled as he tapped into his doctor's mentality and ran through a list of possible causes for the bleeding and sudden loss of consciousness. Causes such as facial fracture, infections, liver disease, and leukemia ran through his head, as well as numerous others. But he knew that liver disease and leukemia couldn't be the cause since they were long term conditions and such bleeding would've been noticed earlier if they were recurrent symptoms. "What's wrong with them, Carlisle?" Esme whispered in a strangled voice as she worriedly smoothed the hair on her babies' heads.

"I...," Carlisle started, at a loss of what to say. Without proper tests, he couldn't get a diagnosis. Right now, the top priority was getting the twins to the hospital. Looking around, he saw that driving there wouldn't be an option as their car was totaled, beyond salvageable.

"Sir, sir...," a voice suddenly said behind him and he turned to see two paramedics peering at him. He vaguely wondered how he hadn't noticed the ambulances' arrival at last, but the thought was quickly lost within the network of his mind as he realized that they had a means to the hospital now. The thought had just crossed his mind when the paramedics saw the unconscious Edward and Alice lying in their family's arms and quickly instructed them to follow them to the ambulance. Both twins were snatched from their arms as the paramedics, seeing the blood, jumped to work on them while ushering the Cullens into the back of one ambulance. Since each ambulance only carried one patient, Edward was taken to another one parked nearby.

"I'll go with him," Emmett said and didn't wait for an answer before leaving his parents and hopping into the back of the ambulance. Carlisle and Esme nodded anyway before pulling themselves in next to the stretcher that Alice was lying on.

"Were you all in the car wreck?" one of the paramedics asked as he worked slipped an IV into Alice's arm for fluid and drug transport if she needed it later at the hospital. They were all silently worried when Alice didn't even flinch. She was completely out cold and unaware. Esme nodded at the question.

"And you came out without a scratch? How did you manage that?" the blond paramedic asked, voice skeptical with good reason. "That was one crazy mess!"

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other. They had no answer to that. They've never told anyone about Edward and Alice's ability, and they didn't know whether they should or not. Drifting their gazes over Alice's small form lying on the stretcher, dark hair framing her deathly pale face, they decided to keep the secret a little longer. After all, they didn't know what would happen if the information reached the wrong ears.

~To Heal~

_Scripps Memorial Hospital_

_8:30 pm_

The emergency room was packed full of people, many of them obviously homeless looking for shelter. While many of them were anxious family members no doubt awaiting news of their loved ones. The weather being the way it was, many accident victims were pouring through the doors. All the chaos weren't directly affecting the Cullens, however, as they were all gathered in a quiet room upstairs, watching the youngest members of their family sleep. Though various tests had been done on both of them, the doctors had found nothing to explain the bleeds, nor the fact that none of the family had any wounds from the crash. They were spending the night at the hospital because the doctors had wanted Edward and Alice to be observed for any new symptoms overnight. No one was complaining, the hospital was a nice shelter from the storm. As well as a good place to rest and discuss what they were going to do next. All the stuff they had taken on their trip had been lost in the wreck, though police had managed to salvage Esme's purse. But everything could be replaced and the twins mattered more than any belongings.

Carlisle was stroking Edward's bronze hair and Esme mirrored him on the other side with Alice. Both parents were relishing in the soft hair of their children and what blessings they were, while thinking about all that had happened. Neither of them knew what had happened tonight. As far as they were concerned, Alice and Edward had never bled after healing someone. And somehow, they knew that the bleeding had to have been related to the healing. There was no other plausible explanation they could think of. For now, though, what mattered the most was that they were both safe and sound.

"Man, I'm tired," Emmett yawned, breaking the stillness.

"Go ahead and get some rest, son," Carlisle told him, tilting his head at the couch that sat in the corner.

"I think I will," Emmett said and dragged himself over to plop down on the plush cushions.

"We're very proud of you, Em," Esme said as she pulled a blanket over her oldest son. Emmett had shared a little of what had happened while his parents had been unconscious, but hadn't gone into many details. Nevertheless, his parents were extremely proud of him for keeping enough cool to get his younger siblings and himself out of the car. He had been the perfect older brother he had sworn to be, looking out for Alice and Edward. In turn, their whole family was safe. "Sleep well now. Don't worry about a thing." Esme placed a soft kiss on Emmett's head, meeting no protest this time from the fifteen year old boy who normally opposed to such displays of affection since he deemed himself too old for such things. Within moments, he was out cold to the world.

"Would you like me to go get a cup of coffee for us?" Carlisle asked Esme. He stood from his chair and gave his wife a gentle kiss. They were still a bit shocked at all that had happened, as to be expected. He was eternally grateful to still have all of his family safe and sound, and a feeling that he would never be able to fully comprehend how lucky he was on this day.

"That'd be nice," Esme said. "I don't think I can sleep tonight. Nor do I really want to."

"I'll be back in a bit then." Carlisle gave her another kiss and hugged her to him before turning to head out the door. Pausing to look back, he saw Esme tending to each of their children, all the love of a mother in her eyes. The tender moment stretched, not even broken by the soft click of the door as Carlisle left the room.

Carlisle found the cafeteria easily, as the hospital had signs all over the place so one wouldn't get lost. The cafeteria reminded him a bit of home, of the hospital in Forks. He smiled as he saw a doctor reading the latest medical journal, a coffee cup in hand, reminding him of himself. Only a few people were present, some talking, most just taking a well earned break from the chaos brought on by the storm. While he waited in line to order two cups of coffee, two nurses stepped up behind him.

"Isn't this just the freakiest weather you've ever seen?" one of them said in a high soprano voice. Carlisle wasn't sure whether she was talking to him or not. Having nurses randomly come up to him was a daily thing since they found him attractive. Too bad he was married to the best woman in the world. But a moment later, the other nurse answered in a lower voice.

"No kidding. I've lived here my whole life and freak blizzards just don't happen in the middle of September." Carlisle was about to tune them out, since he didn't like eavesdropping, but couldn't help but listen quietly as their conversation went on.

"You know, strange things have been happening lately. Did you hear about the plane crash today?"

"No." As always, news of disaster perked Carlisle's interest and he now listened with rapt attention.

"It's unbelievable. Two giant commercial planes colliding head on! Somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic I think."

"How did that happen? Aren't they supposed to know when another plane is nearby?" the second nurse asked.

"I'm not sure. I heard it on the radio when I was coming to help out in the ER. It said something about a super thunderstorm messing up the navigation or something like that. I have no idea. The strangest part is that the storm manifested in a matter of minutes. Crazy huh?"

"No kidding," the second nurse said again. "What is the world coming to? Were there any survivors?"

"Not that they know of," the woman said in her high sing-song voice. They went on to talk about other stuff after that, hospital gossip for the most part. Tuning them out, Carlisle went over the conversation in his head and inwardly shivered. So many deaths today. First the storm and now two planes crash over the Atlantic after a freak thunderstorm. He found himself agreeing with the second nurse. What was the world coming to?

~To Heal~

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading!**


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